Apparatus for analysis of seismographic records



May 27, 1941. l.. G. ELLIS 2,243,730 APPARATUS FOR ANALYSIS OF SEISMOGRAPHIC RECORDS L. G. ELLIS May 27, 1941.

APPARATUS FOR ANALYSIS 0F SEISMOGRAPHIC RECORDS Original Filed Aug. 20, 1938 2 ShLeGxts--Shesil 2 /o 5 will A m. Q m T 0 W f/ WM- A 2 2 Q0 S ,4/w Vu. F 5 4/m w., @l m Fl@ E.

Patented May 237, 1941 APPARATUS FOR ANALYSIS F SEISMO- @RAP sui C RECGRDS Lacoste it. Ellis, Beaumont, Tex., assignor to Sun Oilv Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New .Hersey Original application August 20, 1938, Serial No.

225,858. Divided and this application'August 18, 1939, Serial No. 290,309

claims.

This invention relates toa. method and apparatus for the' analysis of seismographic records of the type produced pecting.

This application .is a division of my applicain sesmographc prostion Serial N0. 225,858; filed August 20, 1938.

Asis well known in the art at the present time, the recordsproduced in the method of geophysi- ,cal exploration known as reflection shooting are difficult to interpret by reason of the fact that the records produced by reflections from various strata are frequently diierentiated only slightly, if 'at' all, from the records ofv waves of more or less indefinite nature which are received simulbut fairly closely adjacent each other. Under such conditions, the records made simultaneously of the arrivals of waves at different instruments may be expected to show a somewhat later arrival of a reection at the most distant instrument than the arrival at the instrument nearest the shot.

,'not greatly differentiated from each other or are relatively thin, the reflections may well be so completely submerged in the accompanying vibrations that they are very diilicult to recognize.

An improved method of picking out reiiections Awhich may be used for the basis -of interpreta- .tions has been evolved which consists of adding the instantaneous amplitudes of a series of corresppndingrecords in a definite fashion. The fashion adopted has been to add to the4 amplitude at each point of one record that amplitude of a second record produced by the same shot at a receiver more distant from the shot point at an instant later than that of production of The interval between the two arrivals is usually known as the step-out oi the the particular amplitudel of the rst record by an interval corresponding to a certain step-out of the second record, and so on through the series..

Such a'summation has been made for Aone stepout for the entire record followed by summations made for other step outs, each for the entire record.

The resulting summed .records should show considerable magniiication ci reections received at the particular step-outs used for the summation, and by a comparison of the summed records made for a number of step-outs a better identification of reections can be made. The method just indicated, however, has substantial limitations in several ways. First, local magnica tions occur' in such fashions that it ls sometimes diicult to assign satisfactory interpretations to taneously, such indefinite waves 'being produced 15 them. Secondly, the wave shapesare inherently 1- by multiple reections and more or less sustained distorted by the method, whereas it would be vibrations 'of various strata. In one of the comy desirable to know lthe true Wave shapes since monest methodsof reflection shooting, a series of additional interpretations may sometimes be seismographs are located in line with a shot point made on the basis of them.

at aconsiderable distance from the shot point, 20 It is the object of the present invention to provide a method, and a type of apparatus preierably used for carrying out the method, whereby reections may be picked out of a series oi records and good pictures of the wave shapes oi the reflections given with substantial suppression of those portions -of the records due to accompanying vibrations of no particular cignicance. the present invention there ls provided a summation of the general type indicated above, but the summation is so carried out that there are summed the instantaneous amplitudes of the records which properly correspond to each other from the standpoint of reections which should be received at those particular intervals following the shot instant at which the summations are made. Translated into terms oi' step-outs, the summations are made to correspond tothe step-outs which would normally be expected in the reception of reflections at different intervals following the shot. Or, in other words, the summation is made to correspond to varying stepouts as progress along the records takes place.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically carrying out the method just indicated, -which apparatus is desirable to take into account instrument and surface corrections or the like so as to secure a better picture of the reflections with suppression of any factors -which have no bearing thereon.

The above and other 4objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. in which:

Briefly stated, in accordance with Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan View of .anapparatus for the analysis of records in the manner outlined;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the same;

Figure 3 is a wiringdiagram illustrating the electrical apparatus. associated with the mechanism; 4

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing a series of records in the form of curves plotted against time by means of the improved'apparatus and translated from vthe variable density photographic records analyzed by the apparatus;

Figure 4A is a similar view showing the type of record resulting from summation in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 5 is a diagram showing in conventionalized fashion the reilection paths of waves and illustrating the principle of the present invention.

There is illustrated at 2 a photographic lm on which there occur variable density track records, including, at 4, the record of the firing of a shot and at 6 the respective records of the vibrations simultaneously produced at a series of recording instruments differently located with respect to the shot point, for example, located in line with the shot point. (It Willbe obvious hereafter that the invention'is adapted for various placements of instruments, though for the at I2, while above the'tracks there may be located -a single bulb such as I6, or a series of insake of simplicity the arrangement of the instrumentsin a line through the shot point will 'be generally referred to.) The type of record illustrated in Figure 1 may be of the type described in Rieber Patent No. 2,051,153, dated August 18, 1936. Such record generally contains timing markings not shown) and the shot instant may be recorded on a separate trace rather than on the same trace with the record of one of the detecting instruments as here illustrated.

Records 'of the type illustrated in Figure 1- are not directly usable, since it is practicallyV impossible for an observer to recognize changes in density of a track of the type illustrated, or variations in width of a track, if a variable width type of track is produced. Consequently, Asuch records have been scanned in the same general fashion as is employed in the scanning of talking pictures and they have been thereby transformed into records consisting of curves running along time axes as illustrated, for example, in Figure 4. Such curves, produced by recording a moving spot of light from a galvanometer, may be interpreted by those skilled in this art. In general,' in the formation of variable .track records of either variable density or variable width type, it is generally desirable that selective filtering should not be resorted to in their formation with the result that there are recorded all the vibrations which arrive at the detector. In translating such records into curves. however, suitable lters may be used so as to select from them only desired bands' of frequencies which may have signicance. Thus a record produced in the original recording apparatus may be leisurely analyzed.

In accordance with the present invention, a variable density or variable width type of record is made on film as illustrated in Figure 1, which film is supported and moved by sprockets, as indicated at 8, driven through the medium of a shaft I0 connected to a suitable motor for movof the six individual photocells which are shown ing the lm at a substantially constant and suitdividual bulbs each' corresponding` to one .of4 the record tracks.v The showing of this arrangement is purely diagrammatic, and it will be understood that suitableoptical systems are used to project the rays tracks which are preferablymasked not only by the means hereafter described. but additionally yby other means usually adopted in this art to prevent obtaining spurious results.

Extending 'lengthwise of the direction` of movement of the iilrn` is a series of bars I6 pivoted on studs I8 which may be adjustably positioned 'on slots extending transversely of a 'lever 2li which is pivoted at 22 to a xed support and has a roller 26 on its outer end urged by a spring 2a into rolling engagement with a track 2l o! a predetermined form. This track 2B is preferably provided by a. nexibie metallic strip seemed to the ends of the'rods 30, which may be adjustablel to varying extents laterally of a. rack 34 by means of adjustable clamping devices indicated at 32. The rack 34, suitably guided for movement in the direction of its length, is arranged to be driven by means of pinion 36 carried by s. shaft 38, which is driven in definite time relationship with the shaft I 0. j

Each of the bars I6 is provided at its end' 1ocated between the lamp I4 and one of the photocells I2 with a mask portion provided with an aperture 40 aligned with corresponding traces 6. To maintain alignment of the bars with their systems 52 and 54 upon a moving sensitized sheet contained in a. camera 56, the sheet being driven by means of a shaft 58 in synchronism with the shafts Ill and 38.

As indicated diagrammatically in Figure 3, it being understood that any suitable detailed wiring arrangements may be employed, the responses are adapted to be transmitted tothe camera to produce six graphs of the type illustrated in the upper portion -of Figure 4. Additionally, .there is provided a galvanometer which, through the optical system indicated at 54, will project upon a sensitized sheet, either simultaneously with or separately from that sheet'on which 'the individual traces are produced, a record of a special summation of the various traces 6. While separate photocells have been illustrated, Ior'the various traces 6, these vare not necessary if the summationalone is to be recorded, and in the latter case a single photocell may be arranged to receive the sum of the intensities transmitted by the traces. Such a single photocell gives a summed output equivalent to having a series of individual photocells connected in parallel. If the outputs of the individual photocells are ampliiied before association, the desired summation may be effected by joining in series the amplled outputs Aif they occur as electromotive forces, or by joining them in parallel if they occur as currents. The particular result. which may be seproperly through the recordportions of the apparatus.

cured in various ways, is the summation of the amplitudes of the traces in the special fashion outlined below.

Reference was made to the1 individual adjustments at I8 of the-bars I6. Assuming that the portions of the traces 6 which are aligned transversely of the film were simultaneously produced without disturbing influences, then for the production of a number of readable records for comparison of the various traces, it would be .generally desirable to scan those portions of the traces lined up transversely of the film and set the results down with vertical alignment meaning simultaneously. However, tests may well illustrate that local conditions at one or more of the recording instruments may be different so that if it were not for some surface conditions of the ground or some lag in response of the instrument, a particular wave might be recorded by the instrument either before or after actual recording takes place. By noting to what extent the actual recording leads or lags the theoretical recording, the interpretation of the traces may` be corrected for such factors by displacing the various openings 130 lengthwise of the film, and it is for this purpose that the varying adjustments at I8 are provided. Such adjustments, which are very much exaggerated in Figure 1 for the purpose of illustration, are such that the various apertures 46' are simultaneously in alignment, when the lever 20 extends at right angles to the direction of motion of the film, with the portions of the traces 6 which would have been made simultaneously if it were not for disturbing influences.

If under such conditions the rack 34 is not moved and the lever 26 is held in aposition so shot and separate curves as indicated at corresponding in their varying amplitudes to the` variations in density or Width of the traces 6. Timing markings 64 may be superimposed in the usual fashion, generally under control of a timing trace (not illustrated) on the original record 2. The curves' 60 so produced may have been subjected to selective filtering with the idea of accentuating thoseportions of them corresponding to reections which it is desiredto note.

The curves illustrated at 60 are typical of those produced when reflections are relatively weak. It will be noted that each of them alone would be recorded. That this -is true isillustrated by the quite uninterpretable from the standpoint o'f deand there are illustratedtwo reflecting bound- Y aries p1 and p2 at diierent depths from which waves are reflected along the paths indicated in full lines to detectors at r and r', which are shown as located in a line through the shot point, but

spaced diierent distances therefrom. The construction of the rays followed by the waves (assuming that they are straight for illustrative v.step-out for the boundary p1.

purposes)v will be apparent from the drawing, in which s1 and s2 represent the images of the shot point respectivelyv due to the reflecting boundaries p1 and pz. The lengths of the paths of the waves passing to r and 1" by Way of the two boundaries are then respectively given'by the distances of these points r and r' from/the ima-ges s1 and s2 as centers. It will be seen that the path of a Wave to r by Way of reflection from p1 is greater than the path to r by a distance di, while in the case of reflection from the boundary p2 the difference in path is d2, which is substantially less. Since the paths are not coincident the difference in travel times to r and 1" will not be the time required for the disturbance to travel the distances d1 and d'2 at the velocity adjacent the surface, but the difference in travel time between arrivals at r and r' by way of boundary p1 will be approximately given by d1 divided by the average velocity for-the whole path, and similarly for the reflection from p2.

- The extra time required for the passage of a wave from the source via p1 to r over that required ,to r is known as the step-out for a reflection from the boundary p1 forthe spacing of the detectors r and r-. ,Obviously the step-out for boundary p2 for the same spacing of the detectors is'less than for p1, and the step-out becomes less as the depth of the reflecting boundary becomes greater.

Assuming that the lower curve 60 of Figure 4 was made by an instrument located at 1', and the upper curve by an instrument located at 1", it will be obvious that the step-out for the first arrival, a refracted wave, will correspond roughly to the time required for passage through a distance approximately that of the spacing of r and 1". If a line such as 66 is drawn as illustrated so asV to intersect the top and bottom curves on the record 62, at times differing by the normal step-out for the first arrival', and assuming that the four intermediate instruments were evenly spaced between the instruments r and 1", it will be obvious that the amplitudes of these curves corresponding to the effects lof the first arrival should add up along the lines 66 whereas any random vibrations due to other causes might well be expected to balance out in the case of six curves such as those recorded, this expectation increasing, ofcourse, with the number of curves peak 68 in the curve 61 in Figure 4A, which peak 68 represents the algebraic summation of the amplitudes along the line 66, the slope of which corresponds to the step-out of the initial onset.

If the depth of a boundary p1 was known, there could be theoretically determined, having as preliminary information the velocities at various depths normal to the region, the approximate time of arrival of reections' from that boundary at the instruments and also the normal step-out for that boundary and the instrument spacing. Suppose, therefore, there is drawn a line 10 which intersects the lowermost curve 60 at the time of expected arrival of a reflection at the nearest receiver r from the boundary p1 and which has a slope such that the time interval between its intersection with the lower curve and the upper curve is the expected Then if the amrlitudes of the curves 60 were summed along the line 10, the expected result would be a considerable magnification of a reflection from the boundary p1 as contrasted with the summation the points of intersection. 12 illustrates 'the algebraic summation of the amplitudesv along the line 10. It will be noted that whereas there do not appear to be any veryv pronounced peaks in the individual traces, the summation along` the line 1lil results in a very considerable wave at 12 as compared with summations along lines generally parallel' to 10, but to the right and left thereof.

The same condition is illustrated for the boundary p2 at 14, which line has a slope/correspondingto the normal boundary p2. Again summation shows a considerable reflection at 16.

It will be clear from the above that if there are suimmed` simultaneously the portions of the traces 6 which differ in time in a fashion corresponding to the normal step-out for the particular instrument spacings used and for the time interval following the shot which would determine the approximate depth of a boundary at which reflection took place, the resulting record would be of the type illustrated at 61 in -Figure 4A, in which reflections would be highly magnified, as indicated at 12- and 16, as contrasted with more or less random disturbances. Such scanning results if, during the progress of the nlm 2 past the apertures 40 the lever 2U is caused to be tilted to a proper extent predetermined by a suitable arrangement of the track 28 as the track i8V moves with respect to the roller 26 in synchronism with the film movement. Itis thus that the'record of Figure4A is produced as the summation of the various traces 6, any amplitude in this figure corresponding to the4 summation along a line, such as B6, and 14, of which the center is directly thereabove in Figure 4. Briefly stated, the final record 61 shows variations withv respect to time of the algebraic sum of the instantaneous amplitude values of the plurality of records which correspond in time differences of their formation, for the particular time of their formation after the occurrence of the disturbance at the source, to the expected time differences between the reception of corresponding reflections at said various points` so that corresponding reflection records will be selectively magnified in the composite record as compared with other records of vibrations.

In carrying out the method, it will generally be found desirable to produce the type of record indicated at 62 showing translated into curves such as 60 the variable densities or widths of the various traces 6. There will also be known, as is usual in reflection work, the velocities at various depths in the 'region under consideration and tests will have been made of the instruments to determine local conditions which might af fect their responses. For the instrument arrangements used and the vvarious depths, the travelling times of the reflections and the normal step-outs can be calculated. Or, alternatively, if

step-out for the Well defined reiiections appear on a record, such as that of Fig. 4, the normal step-outs may be directly measured. Adjustments, are then made at I8 to take account of surface or instrument corrections, and the track at 28 is so shaped that. scanning takes place, the slope of the lever 20 will be changed to correspond to the variations in step-out. By scanning with a series of photocells I2 connected in such fashion that their t responses are algebraically added or, by the use of a single photocell or equivalent arrangement, as indicated above, a record will be produced in the camera. similar to that illustrated at 81 in the lower portion of Figure 4. In this record the renections are very much magnified as con trasted with the records of other vibrations. In effecting the summation, it will generally be desirable to further accentuate the reections by the choice of filters which experience will have shown will selectively pass the frequencies characteristic of reiiections in the region. The speed of feed of the lm must be such as to make the lters properly operative. For ex ample, if scanning takes place at the speed of formation of the record, then the filters may be such as to pass those frequencies which actually existed and which were characteristic of the reflections. On the other hand, if scanning is at a different rate, the filters must be designed accordingly. Selective filtration may be accomplished with a single set of :filters if different speeds of scanning are used.

By providing the continuous variations in summation corresponding to the changes of stepout a truer picture of the reflected wave'forma tions may be obtained than by any method heretofore devised.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for the analysis of seismographic time records of the vibrations resulting at different points from a source of disturbance in the earth, comprising scanning means for each record responsive to its variations, means for providing relative movement vbetween said scanning means and records to effect simultaneous scanning thereof, means for algebraically summing during the scanning the responses of the scanning means forthe various records, means for varying during the scanning the relationships of the scanning means to the records to effect simultaneous scanning of values of said,

records aligned transversely of the strip are simultaneously formed, comprising scanning means for each record responsive to its variations, means for providing relative movement between said scanning means and records to effect simultaneous scanning thereof, means for algebraically summing during the scanning the responses of the scanning means for the various records, means for varying during the scanning the relationships of the scanning means to each other transverse to the strip member, and means for recording the results of the summing means.

3. Apparatus for the analysis of seismographic time records of the vibrations resulting at different points from a source of disturbance in the earth, comprising scanning means for each record responsive to its variations, means for adjusting the scanning means with respect to each other, means for providing relative movement between said scanning means -and records to eiect simultaneous scanning thereof, means for algebraically summing during the scanning the responses of the scanning means for the various records, means for varying during the scanning 4. Apparatus for the analysis of seismographic time records of the vibrations resulting at, different points from a source of disturbance in the earth, which records are located side by side on a strip member in such fashion that portions of the records aligned transversely of the strip are simultaneously formed, comprising scanning means for each record responsive to its variations, means for adjusting the scanning means with respect to each other, means for providing relative movement between said scanning means and records to eiect simultaneous scanning thereof, means for algebraically summing during the scanning the responses of the scanning means for the various records, means for varying during the scanning the relationships of the scanning means to each other transverse to the strip member, and

means for recording the results of the summing means.

5. Apparatus for the analysis of seismographic time records of the vibrations resulting at diierent points from a source of disturbance in' the earth, comprising scanning means for each .record responsive to its variations, means for providing relative movement between said scanning.

means and records to effect simultaneous scanning thereof, means for selectively filtering the responses of the scanning means for the various records, means for algebraically summing during the scanning the responses of the scanning means for the various records, means for varying during the scanning the relationships of the scanning means to the records to eiect simultaneous scanning of values of said records which were produced not simultaneously but in predetermined time relationships varying with respect to the time of their production after the occurrence of the disturbance at the source, and

' means for recording the results of the summing 

